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Landon Cassill will have a return engagement in the No. 40 Circle Motor Sport Racing Chevrolet this week at Pocono Raceway with technical support from Richard Childress Racing and ECR (Earnhardt Childress Racing) Engines this weekend.

Cassill had driven the No. 33 car previously this year, but, the team is seeking to expand the role of No. 40.

Landon Cassill, Chevrolet SS. (Photo: Circle Sport Racing)

Tony Raines will fill the seat of the No. 33 Circle Sport Chevrolet, marking his first Sprint Cup Series start of the 2013 season.  Raines has competed in four NASCAR Nationwide Series races this season, and drove two Sprint Cup races for the Joe Falk-owned Circle Sport Racing No. 33 in 2012. 

“It's our intention to run the No. 40 in select Sprint Cup races throughout the remainder of the 2013 season, and last weekend was a successful launch of that program...” said Joe Falk.  “Landon did a great job locking the 40 car into the field with no owner points to fall back on, and we're taking that same car to Pocono this weekend with support from Interstate Moving Services, RCR and ECR, so we're confident that Landon will once again be able to qualify the car in the top 36.  The Interstate Moving Services Chevy is a great looking car and I'm glad we're able to take it to Pocono where we hope to improve upon the finish we had last week in Indy.  As long as we continue to see sponsor interest in the 40 program we will continue to field it and build that program.”

The latest hot item from Korea pleasantly surprised me. While my personal lifestyle doesn't warrant driving such a vehicle, I really liked its road manners and versatility.

If you need space, the 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe XL is definitely worth a look. However, with 6 other people on board, you should know that cargo capacity is quite small.


What's a Hyundai Santa Fe XL?
As the name implies, this beautiful crossover rides on an extended version of the Santa Fe Sport's platform. You can easily distinguish the two by looking at the stretched rear side windows. The 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe XL is also larger inside, with 240 litres of additional room, and even more versatile, courtesy of a 40/20/40-split sliding 2nd row bench seat and a 50/50-split 3rd row bench seat.

I tested a Santa Fe XL Premium, which is the least expensive AWD model you can find in the lineup. Equipment is obviously not on par with the more upscale Luxury and Limited models, but still offers plenty of value.

Price and specifications of the 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe XL
The 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe XL uses a 3.3L V6 engine that produces 290 horsepower and 252 lb-ft of torque. While fuel consumption is announced at 10L/100km (city-highway combined), I recorded an average of 11L/100km during my test week.

Total cargo volume amounts to 2,265 litres behind the 1st row. When all seats are occupied, however, you wind up with just 383 litres (not counting the 51 litres of storage under the cargo floor), which is about 100 litres fewer than the Mazda CX-9.

The 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe XL starts at $29,999 in base FWD trim. Next up is the AWD-equipped Premium model at $34,999. For the ultimate in luxury, you must turn to the Limited with Saddle Leather, priced at $43,199.

Total cargo volume amounts to 2,265 litres behind the 1st row. When all seats are occupied, however, you wind up with just 383 litres (not counting the 51 litres of storage under the cargo floor). (Photo: Philippe Champoux)

Driving the 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe XL
We live in such a technology-driven world that I was almost expecting the sophisticated 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe XL to include many advanced gadgets like a backup camera, blind spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, and lane departure warning. As it turned out, there wasn't any of that stuff. Will buyers really miss them? I don't think so.

On the other hand, most will enjoy the 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe XL's backup sensors, satellite radio, heated steering wheel (surprising for the price), and heated 1st and 2nd row seats as much as I did. The driver-selectable steering offers 3 operating modes (Comfort, Normal, and Sport), but you could definitely live without them -- and the extra control on the steering wheel.

Bluetooth is a must, though. Unfortunately, in the 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe XL, synchronizing my phone and using the system proved quite laborious. My thousand or so contacts inexplicably appeared in random order on the screen, and the voice recognition unit seemed to have a hearing problem, no matter how flawless my pronunciation was. Even worse: When I did manage to call somebody, I was constantly asked to repeat or speak louder -- saying that the microphone could be improved is an understatement. As you can imagine, these distractions significantly affected my focus and enjoyment behind the wheel.

Having said that, the 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe XL's driving dynamics were surprisingly sporty for such a large crossover. The steering was sharp, and the suspension struck a good balance between ride and handling.

Come to think of it, I have one more gripe to tell you about. While rearward visibility isn't so bad (the backup sensors also do a nice job in most circumstances), the side mirrors are just too huge! I don't recall ever having to work with such massive and ill-positioned mirrors in my life. They had a frustrating habit of blocking my lateral view.

The driver-selectable steering offers 3 operating modes (Comfort, Normal, and Sport), but you could definitely live without them -- and the extra control on the steering wheel. (Photo: Philippe Champoux)

Inside and Out of the 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe XL
Despite its substantial girth, the 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe XL displays all the right curves in all the right places. Distinctive styling cues include aggressive-looking headlights and fog lights, LED daytime running lights, and a 4-blade chrome grille. All combine to give the vehicle a decidedly modern appeal. Furthermore, I loved the power liftgate.

It's the same theme inside, where you'll find some pretty refined materials for the price. I particularly liked the simple, friendly layout. There are many clever storage solutions throughout. The manual sunshades integrated to the rear side windows and the easy-to-use rear bench seats were awesome.

Despite its substantial girth, the 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe XL displays all the right curves in all the right places. (Photo: Philippe Champoux)

Comparing the 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe XL
If you insist on staying away from minivans, the 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe XL represents an enticing alternative, with sporty driving dynamics that will win you over. Just don't expect the same cargo capacity or the level of convenience that sliding doors provide.

In addition to the aforementioned CX-9, competitors include the Chevrolet Traverse, GMC Acadia, Honda Pilot and Toyota Highlander -- all of which can haul up to 7 people. The 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe XL stands out with superior value and a 5-year/100,000km comprehensive warranty.

From press release

Go Green Racing is excited to announce Maryeve Dufault, the first female Canadian to race in NASCAR, will race for the team at the upcoming September 14th Nationwide Series race at Chicagoland Speedway.

Dufault was born in Sorel-Tracy, Quebec, to a racing family. Maryeve grew up racing motorcycles and karts, winning several championships, then transitioned to open wheel competing in various series.

In 2010, Dufault made the switch to stock car racing. She entered two of the prestigious rounds of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series -- Trois-Rivieres and Montreal. Most recently she has competed in the ARCA stock car series in the United States.

Dufault has been listed as one of the “Top female drivers in racing today” by Fox Sports and was also named as one of the “Top 12 up-and-coming female drivers in motorsports” by Bleacher Report.

The NASCAR Nationwide Series at Chicagoland Speedway on September 14, 2013 will be Dufault's first Nationwide race with Go Green Racing. The race will also mark Dufault's debut on a NASCAR oval. After her success at ARCA, which included a top 10 at Chicagoland, Go Green is anticipating a strong finish from Dufault.

Photo: Go Green Racing

Go Green Racing team owner, Archie St. Hilaire is eager to give the rising Canadian female motorsports driver the opportunity to display her talents.

“Maryeve has proven she has the potential to be a talented driver in a very competitive NASCAR Nationwide Series. Chicagoland will provide both parties with the ability to explore the chemistry for a potential long term partnership in 2013 and beyond”, said St. Hilaire.

Exclusive Autosport drivers Thomas McGregor and Tristan De Grand traded places between the two Formula Tour 1600 races presented this past weekend in Mont-Tremblant, but the result stayed the same for their team: a 1-2 finish on each occasion.

Starting grid, Mont-Tremblant (Photo: PhotoF1.com)

McGregor led the field in Saturday's dry contest, leaving De Grand to finish second. But on Sunday, De Grand took his revenge, as he won by over 40 seconds over his teammate.

Nobody could beat the Spectrum-Honda drivers in the races, but in qualifying, Didier Schraenen, from Saint-Hilaire, had the edge with two pole positions. Even though he finished only fifth Saturday, rookie Olivier Bédard posted the fastest lap in the race.

Duncan Murdoch finished third on Saturday. Schraenen accomplished the same feat Sunday.

In the championship standings, McGregor leads Schraenen by 37 points.

From left to right: Thomas McGregor, Tristan De Grand and Didier Schraenen. (Photo: D.R.)

From GMM

India, set to lose its place on the 2014 calendar, could return the year after.

That is the claim of Vicky Chandhok, the president of the Indian motor sport federation, who works closely with F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone.

Ecclestone admitted on Monday that the sport will "probably not" travel to India next year, amid reports he needs to trim the schedule to a maximum of 20 grands prix.

According to reports, the main issue with the privately-organised Indian grand prix is the government insists on taxing the teams and drivers at a full rate.

But Chandhok insisted the problem is merely organisational, not "political" as claimed by Ecclestone.

"Bernie told me he was alluding to the pressures arising out of expanding the calendar. He was not talking about politics in India," he said.

"In 2015," Chandhok explained to the Hindustan Times newspaper, "F1 is looking to start earlier than the usual March. This means that the 2014 calendar will have to be wrapped up earlier than November. As such, some races like India may be dropped."

Photo: Buddh International Circuit

Race organiser Jaypee has a contract to host two more races on top of this year's event in October.

"If the 2014 race is dropped," said Chandhok, "the Indian GP will be held in 2015 and 2016." He added that India's 2015 race would be early in the season.

A spokesperson for Jaypee told the Press Trust of India an official statement will be issued "soon".

Jaypee vice president Askari Zaidi admitted there is a problem with the tax arrangements.

"The FOM is extremely unhappy with the way they are being taxed by the government," he told India's Telegraph newspaper. "They (F1) get tax benefits at all other venues across the world."

Race organisers on Tuesday confirmed the Indian grand prix will not be held in 2014.

Earlier, F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone - under pressure to limit the calendar to a maximum of 20 grands prix - admitted the race outside New Delhi is the first to go.

With Russia, Austria and New Jersey all scheduled to join the already 19-strong race calendar, former Indian F1 driver Karun Chandhok admitted: "Bernie is spoiled for choice.

"I think formula one is in demand," added the former HRT driver, whose father Vicky is the Indian motor sport federation boss.

Ecclestone has admitted the government's tax policy is a problem, but the official line is that a scheduling issue has triggered the need for a one-year race sabbatical.

"It (having a 2014 race in October and another early in 2015) was too close," he told the Indo-Asian News Service.

"Therefore, after speaking to promoters, we think it is best not to have a race in 2014 and have one in 2015."

Race organiser Jaypee is now confirming Ecclestone's news.

"If Formula One Management wants us to hold our race in March 2015, we don't have any problem with that," said managing director Sameer Gaur.

Chrysler Group took the unusual step of postponing a planned media drive of the 2014 Jeep Cherokee scheduled for early next month but vowed that "vehicles will still be in showrooms in September."